Acting Director General of the Liberia Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Dan Saryee and the Deputy Director for Operations and Technical Services, Apha Gongolee, have departed for an ‘exploratory mission’’ to La Cote D’ivoire.
The week-long mission which runs until Saturday, September 20, aims to provide firsthand insights into the Ivorian cocoa sector, the world largest producer and supplier of cocoa beans, with exports valued at US$3.33 billion in 2023.
During the visit, the LACRA delegation will engage with key institutions in the cocoa value chain including the Coffee and Cocoa Regulatory Authority (CCC), the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), and the Rainforest Alliance.
Their itinerary also includes visits to cocoa packaging factories, fermentation centers, farms, cooperatives, post-harvest facilities, and jute bag production companies.
The mission is intended to explore opportunities for institutional partnerships and to learn sustainable practices that could be replicated in Liberia to strengthen its cocoa industry.
Under its new administration, LACRA is prioritizing decentralization and sectoral reforms, aimed at improving infrastructure, farmer education and market access.
Efforts are already underway to establish regional warehouses to address storage constraints, as well as provide practical training for farmers in fermentation and drying techniques.
The authority also plans to introduce solar dryers in key cocoa-producing areas to enhance the quality of Liberian cocoa exports.
Additionally, LACRA is working to ensure compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which mandates proof that exported agricultural products are not sourced from recently deforested land.
To this end, the authority is developing a traceability system to track cocoa beans from farms to export points.
The mission to La Cote D’ivoire is expected to provide critical lessons and collaboration opportunities that will support Liberia’s ambition to expand its cocoa industry and secure greater competitiveness in international
markets.